International Students’ Career Construction From Hospitality Internship: A Qualitative Approach

Abstract

The curriculum-designed internship in hospitality management education has diverse impacts. Adopting the Career Construction Theory, this research explores how internships affect students’ career choices before, during, and after their hotel internships. The methodology of this research consists of semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and documentary investigations on international students’ internship diaries. Results show that the curriculum design is critical to the success of an internship. The empirical findings indicate that internship preparation, cultural adaptation during the internship, and reflexivity after the internship are important elements in an effective internship. Research findings reveal the current status of international student internship programs in the Chinese context and provide implications for internship curriculum development in hospitality management and international students’ career development. The present article recommends that it is crucial to manage students’ career construction route through a proper arrangement of an effective internship program. Theoretical and practical implications are further discussed.